Nines was on a trip back to the woodsea to pick up Tori. He traveled to Onibus to pick up some books he had there, the young woman needed to read more. He walked out of the small shop dressed in his, as he called them, “Normal people clothes”. The grey long shirt with the long right sleeve and short left sleeve. He wore a pair of cargo pants that were black, and wrapped around his left arm to the tips of his fingers was a black bandage, dotted with red sew lines. He started his journey back there by making a left turn on the main road and starting to walk. Unfortunately to bump into a woman who started making a ruckus about how a bunch of dumbasses were mugging people and how she was looking for help for her husband.

Nines stared at the woman. The books now pretty much everywhere, seriously this woman was big, and dark skinned, and now she was just pretty much screaming about how a bunch of thugs were mugging people. Nines was honestly surprised, this woman barely ran around the corner and when she hit him it was like a freaking tuck. He was on the ground propped up on his hands. Listening to her he crossed his legs and leaned forwards interested in the story of the eight thugs beating people for “Protection Money” common scheme really. All small time dumbasses did it. Nines sighed and scratched the back of his head as he stood up. “Alright, if you compensate me for these now hopelessly ruined works of art, I will gladly stop your dumba-I mean thug problem for you” Nines said with a smile. He made no mention he was a council member, made no mention this was his duty to the people.

They didn't care after the recent fiasco in Era. They didn't care after Shadow Heart became a public nuisance on the peace. That was okay, the populace was allowed to believe whatever they wanted. They had thoughts and feelings too, however he stepped past the woman and started jogging down the alleyway she came from without even waiting for a reply from her.

He didn't even catch her name.He didn't really care.

Nines sprinted through town looking for these thugs. Remembering his plans as he did, the armor of the council formed around his sprinting form. He grinned, eventually all his effort would come to fruition, and he could protect all of Fiore from everything that threatened it. Even itself. The first part of that was to become stronger, so he could repel threats like Mordekai von Argon. Easiest way to do that was punch dumbasses.

Like these goons here thumping on one guy. “UNHAND THAT CITIZEN” Nines screamed as he came in like a wrecking ball, his armored fist crunching against the man's jaw and sending him flying into the nearby wall. The man was promptly unconscious. “IN THE NAME OF THE COUNCIL” Nines continued summoning his rifle and whipping it around to meet another of the thugs heads, which acted like cupid, and formed a relationship between his face and the ground. He flipped the rifle around and chucked it at the third thug in front of him. The butt of the rifle collided with his face, with a crack.

By now the thugs had realized they were under attack. However it wasn't before Nines summoned his shield, and dropped into a spinning kick at a fourths legs, rendering him on the ground. Nines shield came down on the mans face, hard. Four down, Nines stepped back as magic started flying, their panic dying down. He did a head count, including those on the ground. Seven thugs, and a big guy, holding a smaller man. Biggest meant he was the boss. Little guy was obviously their target.

“The name of the council?” The man scoffed. “The Council is dead, besides you only bear the sigil of the council, you're not a councilman in official records. You're a traitor, a loyalist….good” The man grinned, his teeth were sharp, like a sharks. Nines knew of only one person who had that, Atrum, this guy was as big as a mountain because he was from the north. “That means this plan worked” The man laughed as he held up his right hand, the sigil of the magic council engraved in crimson against his skin. “Loyalist scum, I knew you would come out if I mugged some people, took you forever though” he scoffed. “You take one more step without allowing my men to cuff you, and I will break this mans neck and blame it on you.”

Crusaders, bastards would go to any means to defeat the loyalists. Nines honored that, this was war. Nines smirked, on that note he needed to prioritize. This changed things. Three people were up, along with him. Nines had his shield, and a knife. He glanced around with his eye’s. “Well then, drastic times call for drastic measures.” With that Nines chucked the shield at the man. The metal projectile hit the man right in the wrist, the snapping force of it shattering the mans wrist in two, the shield dropping to the ground. “KILL HIM” The man bellowed as he let go of his victim and clutched his wrist.

Nines drew his knife, and caught the incoming fist of the thug attempting to punch him with his face. Nines looked at him with a look that spoke volumes of how hard that man hit him. The man made a squeak noise before Nines kneed him in the gut, and made the hilt of his knife impact the man in the side of the head, dropping him like a piano down a flight of stairs. Two left, then the big guy.

The first was a fire mage, he was casting a fireball the size of a small cow over there by himself. The last was a holder mage, wielding a sword, he charged Nines blade drawn. Nines wondered to himself what kind of Lacrima this guy had on him. With a few swipes Nines had figured it out, the bottom one was a earth Lacrima, its how the guy maintained his defense. The middle one was a wind Lacrima, that helped with the speed. The top one was an ice Lacrima, more more sharpness, and a chilling effect. Nines’ smile grew as the man behind him cast his spell, converting the fireball into a flame thrower. Nines pushed his momentum forward, and baseball slid between the man's legs, as he did he cast his knives magic, a torrent of flame shooting upward, not at the man but as his blade.

The sword heated as it was hit with the napalm like substance from Nines knife, then it was hit with a flame thrower burst from the mage’s ally. Nines rolled into an upright position and turned with a punch at the man, who predictably blocked with his sword. The blade snapped literally in half, the tip of the sword lodging itself as shrapnel into the mans shoulder. The man howled in pain as his own blade pierced his skin, due to his magic not functioning. Nines rotated, doing a move he had seen Atrum done, “The spinning backfist” only with the knife hilt. The man was rendered unconscious instantly. The last mage turned and screamed running, scared shitless by the one mage who just beat the tar out of seven dudes without even being injured.

Nines turned to the last guy, their leader. “Shit this wasnt part of the plan” The man grunted at Nines his magic crackling around his arm, as he prepared to use it. Force magic of some kind, it lacked a color but held substance. Nines got himself in a ready position, he was going to have to take this one to figure out how it worked.

Thats when there was laughter, The ghost of the council and the monster crusader both stopped. The ghost out of confusion, the monster out of obvious fear. It started as a chuckle then developed into a full blown cackle, then the clapping started. “WELL DAMN BRO” Said the man from the ground, who stood up and dusted himself off. “Didn't think you had it in you to be a total combat monster” The man said leaning forwards. “You saw that right Joe? He just freakin decemated you guys” Nines raised an eyebrow. he knew the crusader? He was the victi-oh son of a bitch.

“Damn, I thought you would’ve realized it before hand though” The man said with a sigh and a shrug, “Also Joe this was exactly part of the plan, I just didn't expect for it to be him who we were to catch in our little trap. It makes sense though, we were always destined to be enemies really” There was the grin again, it literally made Nines feel anger when he saw it. He had no idea why.

he paused, obviously for dramatic effect, there was no way. “Mor-” The man started. “DAMN YOU, THOMAS” Nines interrupted him, charging with his knife. “gan~” the man smiled as he finished with a laugh.

Nines knew this was a bad idea, his anger had gotten a hold of him. He wasn’t thinking, he didn't take time to stop and think about the situation, how he could approach safely, what kind of magic his brother now had. He didn't think about anything, he just did. He regretted that mentally as he lunged forward with his knife, which promptly hit something squishy with a thunk noise. Then the warmth spread from the knife’s hilt downwards to Nine’s armor, this wouldn’t had bothered the seeker if the warmth wasnt a liquid and poured between the gaps of the metal and onto his hands.

Nines looked up, to see the northerner looking down at him, just as surprised as the seeker was. He coughed up more of the crimson liquid. “Shit” Nines said, anger, fear, and panic creeping into his voice. “B-boss?” Joe asked as he turned his head to look at the man named Thomas. “I serve one man Joe” Thomas’ left eye burned purple, bearing the symbol of shadow heart, much like how Nines’ council symbol could only be seen if he wanted it to be.

“SHITSHITSHITSHIT” Nines stated cursing over and over again.

“That man despises the council, don't worry, nothing personal, just a means to an end.” With a twist of Thomas’ hand a shadow could be seen, it was huge, bigger than Atrum, bigger than this northerner. It was for a moment, just an instant, but Nines could see it. Its hand grabbed Joe’s head completely in its hand, and with a twist, broke his neck. “And thats for threatening me.” Thomas finished a huge smile on his face.

The body was then tossed aside by an invisible force. Nines cursed he couldn't see shit in this alleyway now for some reason, it was like the sun was blocked out. Wait the sun was blocked...ou-

Nines looked up and immediately regretted it. A giant stood in his brothers shadow, it was made of darkness, and the feeling it radiated was bloodlust, murder, absolute hatred. “I only have one favor I want to ask brother, and it will decide if I kill our family today or another time” Thomas said, his grin in full effect as the giants aura turned the area around the two blood red, the darkness spreading around from him.

“Give. Her. Back” Thomas said his eyes going wide as he reached forwards towards Nines left arm. His look was crazed, desperate, and filled with need.

“You’ll have to cut her off my corpse.” Was all Nines said as he stepped into a ready position, his knife drawn. If Thomas attacked, with whatever that thing was, Nines was pretty much fucked, he knew that, but he still refused.

Thomas twitched, his left cheek went from a smile to a glare, then back to a smile. He lowered his arm and chuckled. “Well then, since I can't break you, at risk of breaking her, Guess I’ll see you another time lil bro.” Thomas said placing his hands in his pockets, and turning around towards his shadow, and taking a few steps forward. “Oh hey, Nines? Good luck in our little war, I hope to see you on the battlefield.” He said his grin returning full force. “So I can make you bleed.” With that he took another step, and was gone, as well as the Aura, and the feeling of bloodlust.

Nines sighed, he was surrounded by a pile of unconscious goons, from the council, and a dead man. His brother was alive, and just as psycho. Now however he wielded some kind of giant shadow as his magic? This mission was a bust….

[spoiler=”mission Details”]Minimum word count = 2000

[Request]Request name: A Little Vigilantism Request rank: BGuild: Not posted in any guildClient name: KalikiObjective: With the Magic Council unable to focus its attention on what it truly needs to, The city of Onibus has caught the attention of those who would bring harm to innocent people. Stop them from hurting anyone else and chase them out of town.Location: OnibusReward: 10,000Fame Reward: 20Request description: No Job PosterRequest details:Wandering into the town of Onibus, either by train or some other means, the character literally runs into (or perhaps the other way around) a frightened woman by the name of Kaliki. She tells the character that Onibus has a gang of wizards that has moved in, trying to exploit the fact that the Council is too preoccupied to police the country at the moment. The character must arrive in time to see them about to beat a man who refused to pay them 'protection' money and stop the display of brutality going on.

[NPC]

Name: KalikiAge: 32General Appearance: Kaliki is pretty, but focuses more on her home life than her looks, and it shows. She doesn't look bad for it, however. She wears a casual dress most of the time.Personality: Normally she is a calm, happy mother. Right now she is a panicked woman who ran when her husband was in trouble in order to find help, if she could.Motivations: Saving her husbandFears: Her husband being hurt or worse, her children being hurt at a later time.Spells/Abilities: N/AOther: Kaliki has 3 children who are at home.

[Enemies]

Name: Joseph "Three-Eyes" and his gang (7 thugs)Age: 28/ variousGeneral Appearance: Joseph looks like he could be a pro-wrestler, cloaked in a mysterious black cloak. On his forehead is a glowing third eye. His flunkies just wear average clothing.Personality: Joseph is nothing if not an angry bully. He took advantage of the lawlessness and thought he could carve out his own little empire.Motivations: Obtain money and power.Fears: Being stopped.Spells/Abilities: Joseph has B-rank telekenetic powers, and his thugs are generally D-rank flunkies of various ability.Other: If Three-Eyes is defeated, the thu